Read time: 10.3 minutes

ExCel London was buzzing with energy and noise as motorsport enthusiasts gathered in mass to watch the final races of the 2023/24 Formula E season - a championship regularly cited as one of racing’s most futuristic, forward-thinking formats. And yet, the eagle-eyed among you may have spotted several fans walking around with old-fashioned-looking film cameras…

Ahead of the Formula E season finale, the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team tasked four of our papaya fans with capturing a fan’s eye representation of the London E-Prix on film. We armed each of them with a film camera and asked them to take photographs throughout the day.

Here’s what they captured and what they had to say about their time watching NEOM McLaren at the London E-Prix…

Aimee

The London E-Prix is such a good weekend for fans, unlike any other motorsport event I’ve ever attended. I had been looking forward to the event since I’d attended the year before, and it didn’t let me down - I had such a good time.

The racing is close and a little chaotic but very entertaining and unpredictable. We had a great view of the track on Turn 1 on both days. For me, the highlight was the opportunity to catch up with the team and other fans - as you can see from some of the pictures I took. An autograph session was held every day, and the location allows you to see right into the garages, which means you can see the cars up close(ish), and maybe even meet the drivers! 

There’s no shortage of things to do in the fan zone, and we didn’t even get a chance to experience everything - but there were rarely any queues and plenty of seating (or bean bags!) around the ExCeL. The organisers of the event have worked hard to make it as accessible as possible, so it was easy to catch up with all of my friends regardless of accessibility requirements.

The papaya family is amazing. I've met every person in my pictures through a mutual love of McLaren or motorsport. My favourite pic has to be all of us gathered around one tablet watching the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix after Sunday’s autograph session (along with the Aussie fans at the next table waving their flag in celebration of the F1 team’s one-two). The crowd got even bigger after the picture was taken.

I’m really looking forward to next year already!

Andy R

I am used to going to the ExCel Centre for work, so whenever I walk into the ExCel, and it isn’t for work, it's always a weird experience, but when it's to cheer on NEOM McLaren at the end of our season, it's a great day.

Sitting in the dark and watching the cars fly past is a real thrill, and getting so close to the action and hearing the tyres squealing for traction is just insane. We had seats with friends and were around a good group of papaya fans. It was so nice to get to meet real fans and to all be cheering together for our cars. 

The pit-lane walk was awesome, and the queue for Sam and Jake showed what stars they are. Standing outside the garage and watching the crew prep the car for the race is one of those experiences you rarely get. Sam and Jake both took their time to chat and sign our hats, which was such a lovely experience and shows how much this team values its fans.

We managed to get a picture of us all in the pit lane outside of the NEOM McLaren FE garage, and you can see how happy everyone is. It was a season of ups and downs, but with some awesome memories. Bring on 2025.

Andy T

I had an absolute blast taking ‘fans-eye’ photos for NEOM McLaren FE! 

Shortly after being given the camera, I spotted Team Principal Ian James, so I had to grab a selfie. He was somewhat surprised to see a film camera in use!

I took a photo from my seat in the Turn 2 grandstand during Free Practice to show my view, obviously timed for when Jake's NEOM McLaren was passing by! We had great seats where we could see from Turn 1 to Turn 3.

I found a throne made of old FE car parts in the fan zone, so I had to sit in it for a photo (check out the papaya above my head). After the weekend, I saw that Pascal Wehrlein sat on the same throne for some of his Drivers’ World Championship photos, which is pretty cool.

The autograph pit-lane walk was awesome! It was pretty busy, and the longest queue was obviously for the papaya boys. I got Sam and Jake to sign my cap, and I also made sure to drop off some stroopwafels (a McLaren Discord staple) to ‘admin’. The only quiet spot was at the pit-lane exit, where I grabbed a selfie.

I spotted a wild group of NEOM McLaren fans (okay, so I actually know all of them: the McLaren X crew!), so I thought that was worth a photo. It was great to meet up with so many McLaren fans in real life. We had already had a big official meetup earlier at the main stage, and there must have been over 200 NEOM McLaren fans together! 

The highlight of my day was winning a hot lap (check out my excited face beforehand). It was so exciting to be driven around the FE track, and the car's acceleration was insane, it was just like a rollercoaster.

After the race, I went onto the pit straight for the podium, and I think my podium confetti shot came out amazing! It was a fantastic end to a fantastic day.

Emma

From the moment I stepped foot inside the ExCeL, I knew I was attending something amazing. I don’t know if it was all the build-up on the walkway from the hotel, the many posters and screens outside, or the atmosphere in general.

As you entered the arena, there were so many reminders that this was the end of the season and that the title wasn’t decided, which made everything feel dramatic and tense. Stepping inside really gave off a ‘wow factor’.

I took my seat for the Free Practice session and tried counting the grid spots to find out which grid positions I was sitting in front of. I wanted my favourite driver, Sam Bird, to be starting in front of me, but I also wanted him to be much higher up on the grid than he would have been if he had started directly in front of me.

Between Practice and Qualifying, I headed to the stage area to take part in a mass photo of NEOM McLaren fans. This was a huge experience, as everyone came together for what turned out to be a great photo. It also gave us the chance to meet new people with whom we could chat before, during, and after. This was the friendliest gathering I’ve ever seen at any event.

I was then back in my seat for Qualifying and the Race. The sound of electric racing echoing inside a building is a sound and feeling that will never leave me.

Every brush of the wall and every tiny bit of contact can be heard and if you are nearby, then you can feel it too. I spent the sessions screaming, cheering, chatting and sulking with those around me. As the day drew to a close, I didn’t want it to end. I hung around afterwards, watched the final few activities in the fan zone, and continued chatting and exchanging feelings and thoughts with anyone around me who was wearing NEOM McLaren merch.

This isn’t just a sport or simply being a fan of a team, this is being part of one big papaya family. My tickets are already booked for next year, and I can’t wait.